Anchoring device



Patented Mar. 2e,y 1933 PATENT o-FFlcEv OSCAR F. G'ORANSSOIT,y OFSPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS i ANCHORING DEVICE Application led October21, 1930. SerialNo'.Y 490,142.

This invention relates to improvements in anchoring. devices Yand isdirected more particularly to devices for anchoring objects suchasmarking plates to a roadway or the like.

The principal objectfofv the invention is directed to the provision ofan anchoring device whichis so arranged and adapted that it may bedriven into the ground and then expanded in its position in the groundso as to make it difficult, if not impossible, to pull the device fromits anchorage. J In the preferred form of the invention the device vwillbe described in connection with the anchoring of marking plates or thelike to the roadway, but itwill be understood that the novel features ofthe V invention are applicable for anchoring devices in general.

Thev well-known circular marking plate employed to `mark off areas lofthe ground, that is, safety zones, cross walks and the like, inroadways, are usually anchored in place by bolts or the like, but theysoon become loose' so as to be displaced from their position. Theanchoring device of this invention is adapted to hold the said markersin place and prevent if not make it Vimpossible for the markers` to beremoved accidentally or otherwise. Y v

According to the novel features of the invention, the device includes anexpansible bolt member whichmay be ydriven into-the roadway and whichmay then be expanded by means: operating internally thereof. The devicelis simple in construction so as to be economical to manufactureV and isLreadily usable sol that it may be easily installed.

Various novel' features and advantages of the inventionwill lbehereinafter more fullyv referred to in connection with the followingdisclosure which describes the embodiment of the invention at presentpreferred.v

For purposes of: disclosure theinvention is described in theaccompanying drawing,

wherein Fig.` 1 is a side elevational view of the anchoring kdevice ofthe invention, showing how it is inserted in the ground for anchoring amarking plate. y Y

Fig. 2 is, a sectional view on the line 2 2 of'Fig. 1, and L i Fig. 3 isa modified form of certain 'parts of the invention. i

YReferring tothe drawingvmorein detail the invention will now bedescribed.

. In Fig-1, I haveshown in section a'marker V 2 commonly termed-amarking platew'hich it yis usual toflocate on a roadway or the like. Aplurality of such plates are located `in spaced relation for marking oifcertain areas vof the roadway, such as .cross.walks, safety zones or thelike. This plate 2 may take'any form desired, but as a common form is.circular in shape and has a central opening 4 there.- through. v Y

expansible .anchor bolt is provided whichV is pointed Vatitslower end asat 8 and has-"a head or flange 10 at its upper end:for setting in arecess 12rof.the plate 2. This -boltf on its outer side-is provided withalternate grooves 14 and ridges. l5, sofasto ,provide a Aroughenedlcorrugated surface.

lInstead of the grooves and'ridges shown the `outer surface of the boltmay be otherwise roughened so as to. tend toI preventthe withdrawal ofthe bolt-after `it has been driven i into the ground. The interior iofthe bolt is hollowed Vout orl is provided with a bore whichV is of atapering nature: vThat-is, the bore. is larger at theiupperendofthe boltthan it is at the lower end thereof.v

1 According to the preferred form-of the invention, the bore is made` tohave Vstraightsided or nonetapering cylindrical portions 16, 17, 18 and19. These from the upper-side of the bolt'downwardlyrare of, decreasingdiameter, as showmand the straightssided portions are connectedbytapering portions. As will be seen, the straight-sidedfport-ion16 ofthev bore at the upper end of the bolt isV somewhat larger in vdiameter" than the Y straight-sidedY portion 19' at. thelower end.Grooves `2Q 4are provided in .the sides and through the walls of thebolt .which open into the bore. As inFig. 2,.the grooves formwall lsections 21 tied together at theupper .and lower Vside of the bolt. f 1

inserted in the bore -of the vanchor bolt. A cap 23 is provided whichhasa shank portion 24 and a head portion 26, the shank portion 24 ofwhich is arranged to fit in the upper end of the bore so that the iangeor head 2G may rest on the upper end of the bolt.

In operation the bolt 6, as in Fig. 1, is inserted through the openingin the plate 2 and is then pressed or driven into the roadway or groundat a point where it is desired to locate the plate 2. With the plate 2resting on the roadway and with the bolt inserted in the roadway so thatits head bears in the recess of the plate 2, the wedge ball 19 isinserted in the upper end of the bore of the bolt. The ball wedge isthen driven downwardly in the bore of the bolt by means of any suitabletool. As it is driven downwardly into the gradually tapering bore, thesides 2l of the bolt are expanded, the slots 2O therein making thispossible.

The ball 23 may be forced in the bore of the bolt to various depthsdepending more or less on the relative size of the ball and bore andupon the ability of the bolt to expand. As the bolt is expanded by theball its walls of course assume a more or less expanded positionrepresented by dot-dash lines in Fig. 1. When the bolt is expanded tothe desired or required degree. the cap 23 is placed thereon so that itshub 24 is inserted in the bore and in this way the bore of the bolt isclosed and the upper side of the cap 23 is more or less flush with thesurface of the plate 2. The expanding of the bolt serves to securelyanchor the bolt in the roadway and thereby anchor the plate in place.

The tapering walls between the straightsided portions of the borefacilitate the ball being driven downwardly of the bore and when theball enters the straight-sided or non-taperingportions of the bore belowthe top end of the bolt so as to expand the walls, the non-taperingwalls of the bore tend to converge slightly upwardly and inwardly so asto lock the Yball against an upward movement. At least the straightwalls of the bore tend to form arestricted opening at their upper endsto prevent the ball from moving upwardly within the bore, which is vofcourse desired.

In this way, as the ball is driven downwardly of the bore of the bolt,it not only expands the bolt but is locked in place. By expanding thebolt it is of course anchored securely in place and therefore holds theplate 2 against displacement.

According to the modification of thel invention in Fig. 3, I provide acombined cap and wedge indicated generally by 30. This .includes anupper cap portion32 for resting on the upper end of the bolt and a hubportion 34 for fitting in the upper end of the bore as well as adepending portion 36 on the lower end of which is carried an enlargedwedge portion 38. With this form of the invention, the member 36 isinserted in the bore of the bolt 6 and is driven downwardly so that theexpanding portion 38 will expand the bolt while the flange 32 comes torest on the upper side of the bolt.

This member 30 is locked against upward movement in the bore of the boltby the straight-sided or non-tapering portions of the bore which tend toconverge inwardly and upwardly when the sides of the bolt are expandedby the enlarged end 38. As in the former case the bolt is expanded tothe desired degree by the wedge member 30 which is locked in place withthe bolt in its expanded position.

rIhe anchoring device may be modified or changed to adapt the apparatusfor other uses than that described. It has been found to be adequate tohold the said marking plate securely in place, it is simple inconstruction so as to be readily usuable and is efficient in itsoperation.

Having described the invention in the form at present preferred, what Inow desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

l. The combination of a marking plate for a roadway or the like providedwith a central opening therethrough and a recess therearound in theupper face thereof with an anchoring device for securing said plate to aroadway comprising in combination, a belt having a unitary body portionfor extending downwardly through the opening in the plate and adapted tobe driven into a roadway, a head on said bolt receivable in said recess,the said bolt being pointed at its lower end and provided with acontinuous stepped axial bore ext-ending downwardly from the upper sidethereof and terminating adjacent the lower pointed end, the said borehaving alternate connected straight and tapering portions and the saidstraight portions decreasing successively in diameter downwardly fromthe upper end of the bore, the said body portion having longitudinallyspaced corrugations on its outer side and being provided with spacedlongitudinal slots in its sides opening into said bore and terminatingat a distance from the lower and upper ends thereof, a wedge memberhaving a curved surface and adapted to slip through the uppermoststraight portion of the bore and being of greater size than successiveportions of the bore so that it may be driven downwardly in said boreinto a certain straight portion thereof to expand the sides of the bodybetween its opposite ends, whereby the body is bulged between its endsto cause the said certain straight portion of the bore to contract abovesaid wedge member and lock the same in said certain straight portion.

2. The combination of a marking plate for a roadway or the like providedwith a central opening therethrough and a recess therearound in theupper face thereof with an anchoring device for securing said plate to aroadway comprising in combination, a bolt having a unitary body portionfor extending downwardly through the opening in the plate and adapted tobe driven into a roadway, a head on said bolt receivable in said recess,the said bolt-being pointed at its lower end and provided with acontinuous stepped axial bore extending downwardly from the upper sidethereof and terminating adjacent the lower pointed end, the said borehaving alternate connected straight and tapering portions and the saidstraight l5 portions decreasing successively in diameter downwardly fromthe upper end of the bore, the said body portion having longitudinallyspaced corrugations on its outer side and being provided with spacedlongitudinal slots in its sides opening into said Vbore and terminatingat a distance from the lower and upper ends thereof, a wedge memberhaving a curved surface and adapted to slip through the uppermoststraight portion of the bore and being of greater size than successiveportions of the bore so that it may be driven downwardly in said boreintoa certain straight portion thereof to expand the sides of the bodybetween its opposite ends, whereby the body is bulged between its endsto cause the said certain straight portion of the bore to contract abovesaid wedge member and lock the same in said cery tain straight portion,anda cap having a por- 5 tion for inserting in the upper end of theVbore and a part for overlying the upper end of the bolt receivable inthe recess of said p p1lii-testimony whereof I aiX my signature. 0 OSCARF. GORAN'SSON.

